12.31.2015

Twitter started the offer of the New Year version of Twitter emoji. It expresses Japanese New Year. They are available until January 3.

When Twitter users input hashtags "#あけおめ"(Akeome: Slang of the abbreviated form of greetings of a New Year), "#あけましておめでとう"(Akemashite Omedetou: Greetings of the New Year) and "#謹賀新年"(Kinga Shinnen: Literary style of "I wish you a happy New Year"), emoji of Mount Fuji and the first sunrise of a new year are displayed. This is a classic image of New Year to be used for a New Year's card well.

When Twitter users input hashtags "#初詣(Hatsumoude: First Shinto shrine visit of the Japanese New Year)", emoji of Torii(鳥居: Gate of Shinto shrine) are displayed.

Furthermore, Mount Fuji is displayed in hashtags "#富士(Fuji)", a hawk is displayed in hashtags "#鷹(Taka: Hawk)", and eggplant is displayed in hashtags "#茄子(Nasu: Eggplant)". Mount Fuji, a hawk and a eggplant are good omens to appear in the first dream had in the new year.

Twitter produced these emoji for the Japanese who respected New Year more in comparison with other countries. I do not know whether you can use this in an overseas region. However, they are displayed on the timeline of Japanese Twitter users as emoji if you input them exactly.

In addition, fireworks are displayed in hashtags "#HappyNewYear". This is available throughout the world.

12.30.2015

Christians are minority in Japan, and they are around 1% of the total population. Therefore the Christ newspaper company(キリスト新聞社), the publisher of Christianity newspaper "The Christ Weekly" practices interesting propagation methods only in Japan. They are games. They released the mobile puzzle game of Exodus of Moses on Christmas Eve. The downloading is free and English support available (iOS/Android).

This is an action puzzle, players move puzzle panels, make ways and guide Hebrews to the opposite bank. However, players must move puzzle panels in real time quickly because many Egyptian soldiers interfere with them. This is the puzzle that instantaneous power and judgement are necessary.

Each level have missions, and players can clear levels by accomplishing them. In the critical situations, prophets with various skills help players. For example, Daniel from Book of Daniel summons lions and sends away Egyptian soldiers.

This is the first game of their mobile game label "Bible collection Ω". Players can know the contents of the Bible with playing. This is important in Japan. Because there is not opportunities to read the Bible in both the everyday life and the school in Japan.

This is not the first their interesting propagation. They released card game "Bible hunter" and baseball game "Bible league" about the Bible...

And they publish comics Pyuuritan(Puritan) which personified Christian religious sects serially in The Christ Weekly.

12.29.2015

From 2 to 24 on January in 2016, Japanese Ingress agents hold event "Red Faction" cooperating with blood donation.

During the period of the event, blood donation rooms of districts of Kanto(関東), Koshinnetsu(甲信越), and Kinki(近畿) become the portal of Ingress, and special battles of the point system and missions are performed. When the agents participate in these and donate blood, they can get Ingress original card. Japanese Red Cross and Niantic cooperates with this event totally.

Blood donors decrease every year in winter because it is cold. Therefore the significance to hold this event daringly in January is big.

12.24.2015

Japan's Dwango released VR video apps "niconicoVR" of their popular video sharing site Nico Nico Douga for Samsung's Gear VR.

niconicoVR is the free VR apps that users can watch videos posted to Nico Nico Douga in VR space. A characteristic of Nico Nico Douga is that the comment that users wrote on the video are displayed, and of course these are displayed in VR space, too. Furthermore, this has the function that users can see their hands while attaching Gear VR. This is very convenient. Because we can see video while eating snacks and drinks.

They made avatar character figures as a present campaign of Christmas at the end of last month. It was limited to 100 by lot, but there were a lot of applications from players. Therefore they contribute this as permanent service from February. Players can place orders direct for the figure of own avatar character from game apps.

Japanese company QUICK is The Nikkei group and contribute tools and reports of finance and the economy. Well, they are square company. They released new mobile application "IRroid" this week.

Yes! This is Japanese dating sim for men definitely. 30 stocks characters such as NTT, Kirin Holdings, Asahi Glass, Teijin, and Colopl appear for this game. So to speak, they are personification of companies. Players become stockholders, get to know various stocks characters, choose five favorite girls, distribute assets into their portfolio and invest them. Interestingly, the stock prices in this game link stock prices data of the real world. When players continue asset investment to them, players become closer to them, and various stories of every characters are shown. When their stock prices in the reality world rise, players can get bonus in this game.

This is a good tool conveying fun of the investment to the person who is not interested in investment. This is dating sim, but explains basics of the equity investment clearly. They should develop the "for women" version of this. The woman investors will increase if they do so it.

12.23.2015

Japan's mixi released Nintendo 3DS version of their popular mobile game Monster Strike on December 17. Though it's price 4,860 yen, it passed 1 million sales on the next day.

Monster Strike Nintendo 3DS ver. is the RPG which shares a view of the world of the short anime series that mixi shows in Youtube. Original monsters only for Nintendo 3DS versions appear for this as well as popular monsters for smartphone versions. Furthermore, it has a story, human characters, and StreetPass Communication function. mixi released this at the best time. Because it is a holiday season now!

Deco Sishi is Makizushi with decorativeness, and flowers, animals and characters are chosen as those motifs well. Japan Deco Sishi Association began activity for the spread of decorative Makizushi in December, 2012. They develop recipes and designs to enjoy Makizushi in modern families, bring up instructors, and send information to the foreign countries. Deco Sishi recipes of LINE: Disney TSUM TSUM was developed with Disney's license. 30 kinds of recipes are placed in this book. They hold the workshops with the publication of this.

Tennōji (天王寺区), the one of 24 wards of Osaka, Japan announced that they utilized Niantic's mobile game Ingress for security activity. They assume Ingress agents vigilantes and have them watch children in a local park.

Agents which want to participate in this activity register accounts with the ward office as security agents. If they notice accidents, they must inform a ward office or the police station of them. The ward office delivers special missions to them every three months, and privileges are presented to the agents which achieved excellent results. The Ingress agents of residence, working, and the attendance at schools in Osaka-shi 16 years or older can participate in this. The ward office offers free mobile batteries and original design bandanas.

Family Crest of Yukimura Sanada(真田 幸村: actual name is Nobushige Sanada 真田 信繁), the Japanese samurai warrior of the Sengoku period is garnished on bandanas. Because this ward has the temple where Yukimura Sanada died.

Then how about the armaments of current Japan Self-Defense Forces? After all they cannot escape from personification also. Zoo, the Japanese application developer announced that they released PC/Mobile game Rick-G-Earth(りっく☆じあ～す) that personified armaments of Japan Ground Self-Defense Force to cute girls on February 24, 2016.

This is a strategic simulation game. Players collect various armaments, organize them and fight against enemies. However, all armaments are personified to cute girls.

She is Camp Ichigaya(市ヶ谷). She is office-style. Because Ichigaya is one of the business areas of Tokyo.

She is Camp Kisarazu(木更津). She wears a flight suit. Because Kisarazu has air field.

If you remember her, you are certainly Otaku. She was nose art of attack helicopters.

All their specifications are the same as real armaments, and players can modify them.

The map is a board game type using Hex. Players arrange units on the map, move and fight against enemies. As for the map, each area of Japan becomes the basis. Tanks are advantageous in city areas and plain areas, but they are disadvantageous in mountainous areas.

This is released in Yahoo!Mobage(for PC) and Rakuten Apps Market(for Android). The release of iOS apps ver. is after those.